Bed Time Buyer's Guide: 0-3 Months

By Ari Altman

Published February 20, 2017

Updated February 20, 2017

When it comes time to bed time for baby, you're looking to create a safe, comfortable, and relaxing environment. Below you'll find a handful of products you're definitely going to want, including our favorite swaddles and infant cribs, plus the very best baby monitor and night light on the market!

We used Halo Sleepsacks from the moment our little one arrived, and they were truly indispensable. Unlike a lot of swaddles, the Halo SleepSack is super-easy to put on. Just zip it up and close the two flaps using the hook-and-loop closures. You can swaddle your baby arms-in or arms-out, depending on whether they sleep better with their arms down or near their face.

The Guru's Tip:

The "Newborn" size is perfect for infants from 6-12 pounds. Note that if baby arrives early or petite, you may want to start with the xx-small size, which is ideal for children under 7 pounds or so.

As much as we like the cotton Halo SleepSack, the micro-fleece version is even cozier! This wearable blanket will keep little ones warm and comfortable, so parents won't have to worry about their newborn catching a chill.

The Guru's Tip:

This version of the SleepSack also dries extremely fast, which is great if you have to pop in the wash and have it ready for baby's next nap a few hours later!

If baby really likes to swing his or her arms at night, you may find that a standard swaddle or even the Halo SleepSack we recommend above won't keep them calm, as they can break out of the flaps. In that case, go with the Miracle Blanket, which is perfect for little ones that really need a tight swaddle to sleep peacefully. What makes the Miracle Blanket so different is that the swaddle wraps all the way around baby's body, meaning it's impossible for baby to pop open the flaps.

The Guru's Tip:

The Miracle Blanket only comes in one size (which is meant for newborns), but is available in a variety of colors.

There are far too many sleeping options for us to cover here, so we'll just go with one that's economical: the Graco Pack 'n Play. It will serve baby as a raised bassinette and changing table when young, and once they outgrow these components, can be lowered down for use as a playpen. Yes, you can buy dedicated, stylish bassinettes, but baby will outgrow them in a matter of months, and then you'll be stuck with a big piece of furniture that you can't use anymore!

The Guru's Tip:

While there are a lot of opinions about what's safest for baby, we think results matter, and Finland's national program providing cardboard cribs to new parents, dating back to the 1930s, has vastly reduced infant mortality. You don't need anything fancy to keep infants safe.

The best, period. The Rest is the best night light on the market, and the best sound machine on the market. For parents who want one or the other in the nursery, get the Rest, and if you want both functions, obviously get the Rest! It's really that good. The sound quality is far beyond the scratchy digitized sound effects featured in most sound machines, and the night light is infinitely adjustable in terms of both brightness and hue. Amazingly, you can even create daily "programs" that will run on schedule, using the convenient smart phone app for iOS or Android.

The Guru's Tip:

This security camera is by far the best baby monitor on the market. Featuring free recordings of the past 24 hours of motion and sound, along with the ability to monitor live video and sound from any Android or Apple smartphone or tablet, the app is easy and fun to use. There's even a web portal that allows you to monitor baby from a PC, a feature we haven't seen on any other popular home camera.

The Guru's Tip:

The Day Brief feature of this camera allows you to see all motion over the past 24 hours in a timelapse fashion, which is a ton of fun when baby is practicing his or her moves! You can learn more about this and all of the Circle's features in the full review on our sister site, The Tech Buyer's Guru.